All posts by The Noughty Graduate

I just came across a LinkedIn Pulse post, written by Marketing Communications Strategist Marianne Griebler, which suggests we drop job titles in the workplace (is that a job title in the article’s heading?). My current employer does not use them on business cards or email signatures as standard so thought I would share my opinion.

In her article, Marianne lists the benefits to an organisation of dropping the job title. She explains:

” […] ignoring job titles is a win-win for any business. The ROI includes happier, more engaged employees. Higher retention. A culture that’s attractive to new talent. And a clearer vision of a team where every player matters.”

Am I more happy on average, more engaged? Does it bear influence on my thoughts which go into doing one more year with the company? Do new prospects of ours consider this when deciding to take an offer?

I can’t say for certain. I think when implemented with other strategies that try to do the same thing , i.e. show that “every player matters”, the above claims have merit. I wholeheartedly agree with Marianne that job titles really only serve a purpose on an HR file. But there are weaknesses with this approach.

It seems to cause no problems in my organisation (150 employees). Tagless email signatures encourage new joiners to ask their colleagues about who these names are they are cc’d onto. Which can lead to some interesting conversations.

But what happens when people rebel against the system? I have noticed some top-level executives edit their signatures to show their title. I am not sure why they have done this – new joiners soon learn their position within the firm regardless. My hunch is maybe they send a lot of external emails and feel they will be read with more care and taken more seriously if “Partner” gleams out in bold letters underneath their name. I could be entirely wrong. But that’s the impression I get. In essence, it looks vain to me.

Therefore the system sort of falls down on itself and has the opposite effect if it is not strictly adhered to. By allowing these deviations to take place, it’s almost like the company is saying “titles aren’t important here, but they are for some people”.

Based in London, TNG writes for and about new graduates in the workplace. If you'd like to stay up to date on his latest projects and articles drop your details in the subscribe box up top or to the side, or follow him on Twitter.

Something I discovered a little later in life than I would have preferred: the power of learning and continually engaging one’s mind with new information. Sounds silly, but if you’re not making a habit to better yourself what’s the difference between you and a hermit living in the woods? What are the chances of achieving your dreams in whatever it is you want to do, bar living a sustainable lifestyle in a woodland environment (but even then!), if you didn’t learn from others? Books are an invaluable resource you can use to improve yourself. Someone has already done the hard work. Take advantage of that. Leverage it.

Hey, are you guys still here? According to Google Analytics people still seem to be finding their way to TNG. 53 just today! Those numbers have inspired me to sign up to Google AdSense. Who knows, maybe in 12 months I’ll get a cheque from Google to pay for that MP Five Forces tattoo I’ve always wanted.

Young entrepreneurs try especially hard to become the next big thing, often failing at the first hurdle. However, only those with true entrepreneurial spirit have the ability to brush themselves down again and face the pitfalls, and learn from their mistakes. If your ego can’t take this, then maybe have a look at what you want from a career.

For the past twelve months I’ve been weighing the merits behind saving whilst I pay down my student loans versus throwing as much as I can at my outstanding balance and leaving my savings account to flat-line. And when I say savings I am talking about long-term savings here (ie. retirement). There may be a valid business case to save up for a car while you pay down debt (or even borrowing more to buy a car sooner). As we’ll soon find out, you just need to be sure the return outweighs the cost.

6 Months Ago… I was happy. Happy that someone had finally given me a chance. Happy that I had a home. I was Over the moon. My mother was proud.

5 Months Ago… I was clueless. There was just so much to learn. I was scrambling against the curve. Making juvenile mistakes at every bend. And my colleague was being a pain in the ass about it.

4 Months Ago… I was insecure. Doubting where I had put myself. Would I enjoy this? How did I end up here? Where would I go? Who would I become?

3 Months Ago… I was depressed. I couldn’t even lie to myself anymore. I had no passion here. It had become a job. Not a career. But where would I go?

2 Months Ago… I stuck my head out. People around the office were talking about something I had an interest in. And I made it known that I wanted to be a part of it.

1 Month Ago… I helped convince our risk-loving CEO that we drastically needed to hedge our FX exposure. He gave me permission to purchase $160,000,000 in call options. The largest single hedge ever taken out in the company’s 20-year history.

2 Weeks Ago… I could have saved the company $450,000 if they had taken my advice. Instead they paid someone else for theirs, and lost it.

Few times in life does one get to walk through a set of revolving doors, approach an attractive young woman behind a desk and say, “Good morning, my name’s Mr. New Guy, and I start work today on the 10th floor.”

Well this one is very hard for me to write about. I have thought about it repeatedly for a few weeks now, but I had trouble finding the right words.

Those few weeks back I received a phone-call. A phone-call I always thought might come, but in what way, shape or form I knew nothing of. It still does not feel real.

Today I received an envelope; an envelope that contained a lot of information. Information I have been looking for, for quite some time now. What was inside made clear to me a number of things. Among them: what I would do, who I would report to, what I would study, where I should turn up, what I would take home. But most importantly it told me what was next. Something I have thought about my entire life. Something I have been asked about my entire life. What next?